Don’t suffer alone. There are many mental health support options available, depending on your needs - whether it’s for you or a loved one. You don’t need to wait until you feel worse, and there is plenty of choice so you can find something that works best for you.
Places to start:
- Seeing your GP is the first step to an initial mental health assessment, and for the formation of a mental health treatment plan. A mental health treatment plan gives you up to 10 sessions with a mental health professional, which are eligible for Medicare rebates each calendar year. Your GP may also prescribe medical treatment. See the National Health Service’s directory if you’d like help to find a GP near you.
- If you or your loved one is of school age, speak with a school counsellor, chaplain or a teacher about problems that might be affecting you. Many are trained to provide mental health support and can help you find additional support if needed.
- Occupational Therapists help people who are injured, ill or who have a disability, through the therapeutic use of everyday activities. Occupational Therapy Australia’s (OTA) Find an Occupational Therapist directory lists occupational therapists working in private practice settings who are OTA members.
- The Australian Association of Social Workers (AASW) has a directory of AASW accredited members, including accredited mental health social workers.
- You can get a referral to a psychologist to support your mental health condition. Find a psychologist is a search tool to find a mental health professional from the Australian Psychological Society. Selected Health Partners Extras covers include benefits on psychology. Annual limits and waiting periods apply, refer to your individual cover details or contact us.
- Psychiatric services can be found through the The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists' Find a Psychiatrist directory. The list contains consultant psychiatrists in private practice in Australia.
- Hospital services are covered on Health Partners Gold Hospital covers, including benefits on in-hospital admissions as a private patient. Annual limits and waiting periods apply, refer to your individual cover details.
Members get priority access to psychology appointments
All Health Partners members get priority access to exclusively reserved psychology appointments with Supported Minds Psychology, either in-person or telehealth.
Plus, as a Health Partners member save $20 on individual psychology appointments and 10% off learning and psychological assessments.
Online resources
| Head to Health | Digital mental health resource directory | www.headtohealth.gov.au |
| Black Dog Institute | Research informed resources and support tools | www.blackdoginstitute.org.au |
| eHeadspace | Free online and telephone support for people aged 12-25 and those close to them | www.eheadspace.org.au |
| R U OK? | Resources for navigating a conversation with someone you’re worried about | www.ruok.org.au |
| ReachOut | Online mental health service for young people and their parents | www.au.reachout.com |
| Embrace Multicultural Mental Health | National platform for Australian mental health services and multicultural communities to access resources, services and information in a culturally accessible format | www.embracementalhealth.org.au |
| Student Wellbeing Hub | Information and resources for educators, parents and students | www.studentwellbeinghub.edu.au |
Other support services
| Lifeline | 24 hour crisis support and suicide prevention services | Phone 13 11 14 – 24 hours a day, 7 days a week |
| Lifeline Text | 24 hour crisis support and suicide prevention services | Text 0477 13 11 14 – 6pm to midnight (AEDT), 7 nights a week |
| Beyond Blue | Mental health information and support for all ages including 24/7 phone service | 1300 22 4636 www.beyondblue.org.au |
| Butterfly Foundation National Helpline | Free and confidential support for Australians concerned by eating disorders or body image issues | 1800 334 673 |
| Carer Gateway Counselling Service | Free counselling service for carers in Australia | 1800 422 737 https://counselling.carergateway.gov.au/ |
| SANE Australia Help Centre | Support services for people living with complex mental health issues and those close to them | 1800 187 263 www.sane.org |
| Suicide Call Back Service | Free counselling for anyone affected by suicidal thoughts | 1300 659 467 http://www.suicidecallbackservice.org.au/ |
| Kids Helpline | Free telephone and online counselling for young people aged 5-25 | 1800 55 1800 www.kidshelpline.com.au |
| MensLine Australia | National telephone and online support, information and referral service for men with family and relationship concerns | 1300 789 978 www.mensline.org.au |
| QLife | Anonymous and free LGBTI peer support and referral for people in Australia wanting to talk about sexuality, identity, gender, bodies, feelings or relationships | 1800 184 527 |
| Open Arms | Veterans and Families Counselling | 1800 011 046 www.openarms.gov.au |
Groups and Forums
• Facebook groups for Australians and locals are connecting individuals experiencing similar circumstances, including new parents, mental health conditions or following support organisations like Beyond Blue.
• Beyond Blue forums have a range of forums for (almost) any situation or circumstance.
These directories are not managed or endorsed by Health Partners, and is not an exhaustive list.
© Copyright Health Partners. 2024 All Rights Reserved.
Health Partners is committed to providing quality and affordable health care, and we value our members and our obligation to protect your privacy. As part of our responsibility in protecting your privacy, from time to time we review our policies to ensure we are meeting our obligations. We have recently made some updates to our Privacy Policy. Please click here to view the Health Partners Privacy Policy.
© Copyright Health Partners. 2024 All Rights Reserved.
Health Partners is committed to providing quality and affordable health care, and we value our members and our obligation to protect your privacy. As part of our responsibility in protecting your privacy, from time to time we review our policies to ensure we are meeting our obligations. We have recently made some updates to our Privacy Policy. Please click here to view the Health Partners Privacy Policy.